FORMER MP for Penrith and the Border David Maclean, now Baron Blencathra, has been appointed deputy chairman of Natural England.

The politician said that his passion for our countryside and the prospect of Brexit lured him into the role.

“We’ve now got a great opportunity after Brexit to make some fundamental changes to the way we fund agri environmental measures in the countryside,” he said.

“We are piloting things such as payment by results for farmers to take more environmental care.

“In Cumbria, we have the national park, we have 22 national nature reserves.

“What we want to do throughout the country is make sure that we don’t just have oases and desert lands in the middle, we want to improve the landscape and biodiversity throughout the country.”

Natural England is a government advising body and dedicated to protecting and promoting nature, biodiversity and access to the countryside.

As the Common Agricultural Policy will be swept away with Brexit, new funding and new methods of land management will be introduced for UK farmers and Lord Blencathra is looking to sign up Cumbrians for Natural England-backed schemes.

He explained: “When we leave the EU we will be rid of agricultural support where farmers will be paid on the size of their farms.

“Michael Gove has made it clear that they will be paid for the environmental good that they do and pay by results.

“Rather than specifying in minute detail what they should do in an environmental scheme, we are piloting some payment by result schemes.”